Chapter 49: The white lotus suffers a defeat (1/2)

“Mistress, what do we do?” Chen Xiang asked anxiously. And yet right at this moment, a guard came rushing over with a report.

“Esteemed wangfei, the grand imperial concubine wants you to hurry over.”

Han Yunxi pursed her lips. When it rains, it pours. If she was hoping for Grand Concubine Yi to help her out of this predicament, that really was thinking too much of her. As soon as she entered the doors, Grand Concubine Yi started cursing at her face.

“Han Yunxi, you’re not comfortable without bragging about your meager abilities, is that it?”

“Mufei misunderstands, Yunxi wouldn’t look for trouble for myself,” Han Yunxi replied mildly.

“Look for trouble? More like find trouble for me. You’re sure making a name for yourself. Everyone in and out of the palace knows about your skills. Don’t you know they’re about to drive me mad with their noise?” Grand Concubine Yi was very angry.

Amongst all the people who came to ask for treatment were a fair amount that were too petty and low to enter the Duke of Qin’s doors. As for those high-ranking officials of distinguished positions, Grand Concubine Yi had temporarily refused them. After all, the Duke of Qin’s house was no clinic, nor was the Qin Wangfei a doctor. If those aristocrats had friendly relations with Grand Concubine Yi, she might let Han Yunxi see them. But at this critical juncture, rumors had spread to all corners of the city. If she set a single precedent, then she’d have to make ways for the others. If all of this hadn’t happened on the Duke of Qin’s doorsteps, it might have been a different affair entirely. Grand Concubine Yi actually made plans long ago.

“Mufei is intelligent and should be able to tell that someone’s spreading rumors to cause Yunxi’s fall after excessive praise,” Han Yunxi spoke sincerely.

Grand Concubine Yi gave a snort of contempt as her eyes took on a calculating glint. “I don’t care about all of that. Tell me how to deal with this!”

As soon as she finished, the gatekeeper ran to entrance of their room to make another report. Seeing this, the irate grand imperial concubine slammed the table. “Han Yunxi, move out of the Duke of Qin’s residence.”

Move out?

Han Yunxi immediately understood. The people asking for treatment didn’t vex Grand Concubine Yi as much as her so-called daughter-in-law. She wanted to take advantage of the situation and kick her out. Now that Han Yunxi had thought things through, she realized that all her efforts to save Grand Concubine Yi’s face were futile. Her wrongs didn’t lie with the troubles she provoked, but her identity. If it was Murong Wanru who’d stirred up today’s troubles, Grand Concubine Yi’s personality would have her going out personally to disseminate the rumors in a ruthless counterattack.

But Han Yunxi was just a daughter-in-law and an outsider, unsuited to the older woman’s likes. Between them existed irreconcilable differences. Who knows, these rumors might have been a trap set by Grand Concubine Yi and Murong Wanru themselves! If that was the case, there was no need to force herself endure it silently. She welcomed it with a smiling face.

“Mufei,” Han Yunxi wore a bitter grin, “Do you want to split the family apart? Such a big thing, chenqie dares not take responsibility. I think you should find and discuss things with his highness.”

Wherever Long Feiye lived, she’d stay too, as the man sang while the woman followed[1]. She would even kick her own sedan chair to be wedded to the Duke of Qin’s residence, so how would she leave so easily? Once she did, how many people would gossip about her behind her back, and how long could she live peacefully? This wedding was decided on by the empress dowager and commanded by the emperor. Even Long Feiye couldn’t expel her without ample reason, much less Grand Concubine Yi.

Split the family?

Hearing this, Grand Concubine Yi was stunned. On one side, Murong Wanru stood speechless as well. Neither of them thought Han Yunxi would dare to say such words! Grand Concubine Yi’s precious son was like her own life. When the previous emperor passed away, she used the pretext that the palace was too gloomy to move into his household instead. An outsider like Han Yunxi dared to accuse her of breaking up the family?

Pah!

Grand Concubine Yi lost all reason as she slammed the table and stood up. “Han Yunxi, what did you just say? Say it again clearly for me!”

“I said, if mufei wants to break up the family, please find his highness for this discussion. Chenqie cannot do such things! Chenqie still has matters to attend to, so I’ll be excusing myself.” Han Yunxi finished her cold words and turned to leave.

“It’s backwards, all backwards! Someone bar her way!” Grand Concubine Yi was furious. A few guards immediately moved to block the exit. “Han Yunxi, you actually mentioned breaking up the family to me! What kind of qualifications do you have to raise the topic? Feiye would never agree to you! Don’t think of yourself as anything special! Are you rebelling?” Grand Concubine Yi couldn’t hold back her rage.

“Mufei, you’re accusing wrongly!” Han Yunxi yelled. “It was your idea to begin with, not mine. You mustn’t wrong me like this!”

What?

Grand Concubine Yi felt her heart blocked up as she struggled to put her thoughts on words. “You, you woman, how can you tell lies with your eyes open? When did I say such a thing?”